Pennsylvania's Journey Through Hallowed Ground Historic Byway

From the junction with SR 394, take US 15 Business South to Gettysburg. You’ll see farms, fields and even the northwest part of Gettysburg National Military Park. Stop for the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, a circa 1938 monument that commemorates the Battle of Gettysburg, the 1863 conflict that prevented the Confederates from invading the North and shifted the Civil War in the Union’s favor.

Hark back to an earlier era as you travel Gettysburg to Steinwehr Avenue. The historic district features shops, museums and even themed restaurants with costumed interpreters. If you visit any of the grand old homes, you may see some bullet pockmarks left over from the 1863 Civil War battle.

From Steinwehr Avenue to Emmitsburg Road, there will be more opportunities to go to both museums and the battlefield. Gettysburg was the Civil War’s bloodiest conflict, with between 46,000 and 51,000 casualties (calculated as wounded, dead, captured or missing). Don’t miss Soldiers’ National Cemetery, where President Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address.

The scenic Emmitsburg Road to the Maryland state line not only allows access to landmarks of the Gettysburg National Military Park but also a presidential home. Next to the battlefield is the 189-acre Eisenhower National Historic Site, which served as a retreat for Dwight D. Eisenhower, a World War II general and the 34th President of the United States.